Broadway’s Five Most Successful Musicals

Musicals have been just as much a part of the theatre as most plays, and some were so successful during their time on stage that they grossed more than some big budget Hollywood productions. Many of these are adapted works of other franchises, but were popular and unique enough that they brought in hundreds of audience members.

These are the most successful and popular musicals ever performed in a Broadway theatre.

1. The 1996 Chicago

Chicago is one of Broadway’s most universally successful musical performances that first opened in 1975 and ran for a total of 936 performances. It was closed two years later in 1977 due to slower attendance rates, but it’s popularity resurged some years later.

A revival was put into production in 1996 and became the second longest running show in Broadway of all time, and tells the story of two women that were accused of homicide. The revival brought in a total of $611,686727.

2. Mamma Mia

Abba was one of the world’s most influential music groups of the 1970’s and 1980’s, and few will disagree that their song ‘Abba’, released in 1975, was their crowning achievement.

It didn’t take long for the song to be adapted into a successful Broadway show that remained in production of a total of 14 years, making it the ninth longest running stage performance of all time, along with the fourth highest earner, with a final amount of $624,391,693.

3. The Phantom of The Opera

The Phantom of The Opera is a classic tale that tells the story of a beautiful soprano who slowly becomes obsessed with a genius that lives in the maze beneath the Paris Opera House.

The musical first launched on Broadway in 1986, and celebrated its 10000th performance in 2012, marking it as the most-watched show of all time, and one that no production has been able to unseat. The musical earned $1,150,057,053 during its run on the stage.

4. Wicked

Wicket is a retelling of the classic adventure of The Wizard of Oz, and focuses mainly on the Wicket Witch of the West along with the good witch Galenda, who had her name later changed to Glinda.

It’s one of three Broadway shows that earned over $1 billion during its run on stage, and is currently the world’s second most successful show of all time. Wicket is still in production to this day, and can be watched on Broadway, making it a must-see for anyone with some extra time after a day of work or online blackjack Canada.

5. The Lion King

It makes sense that the Lion King theatre production would be popular, taking inspiration from one of the most well known films ever made. The Lion King tells the same story as the film, with more music included and plenty of memorable moments.

The musical appeals to audiences of all ages, and its production has won a number of awards over the years, including Tony Awards for Best Picture, and is among a few select shows that have earned over $1 billion in ticket sales. The Lion King leads the list with $1,463,230,222 earned.